4 Dead After Highway 130 Washout

Wyoming Highway 130 (Snowy Range Road) is closed east of the highway’s
junction with WYO 230 near Saratoga, where flash flooding early Tuesday
washed out a section of the highway about 25 feet wide resulting in four
fatalities
The Wyoming Highway Patrol reports the fatalities occurred when one
vehicle drove into the washout. One emergency vehicle responding to the
area to assist in evacuating campgrounds due to the flooding also drove
into the washout, but the driver was able to escape unharmed.
The washout occurred when debris carried down by runoff from torrential
rain clogged the drainage culvert at milepost 55.8, resulting in the
water washing away the pavement around the culvert.
Patrol Sgt. Steve Townsend said a plane from the Carbon County Sheriff’s
Office is flying over the area this morning searching for any
additional vehicles affected by the flooding.
The highway closure currently is between mileposts 36 and 68.
The floodwaters will have to recede before highway repairs can begin.
WYDOT District Engineer Pat Persson said the U.S. Forest Service has
given permission to haul materials from a site nearby and equipment will
be staged at the location so repairs can begin as soon as the water
recedes sufficiently.
Persson said the highway will be reopened as soon as possible, but it
could take until next week for the work to be completed.